He swore. I passed over the phone with the message on the screen. As he read it, he swore some more, but said, “You do want to move on your parents’ case. We’ll get this over with and then take off.”

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

It was not a short drive. Fifty-five minutes, in fact. Luckily, the route was easy enough—straight up the shore of Lake Michigan. We arrived on a quiet country lane. I spotted the rental Jag pulled over ahead, Gabriel standing at the roadside. I swore I could feel his impatience strumming from a hundred yards away.

Ricky pulled over and lifted his helmet visor. “He doesn’t look happy.”

“Does he ever?”

Ricky chuckled. “I’ll go hang out in town. Call me when you’re done. No rush.”

I swung off the bike and headed toward Gabriel.

“Yes, it’s been more than my allotted hour,” I said. “But given how long it took to get here, I think you could have given me more time. Also, I didn’t ignore your call. I never got it. We were out for a picnic breakfast and cell service sucked.”

Gabriel stared at me as if I were speaking in tongues.

“I said I didn’t get—”

“I heard what you said,” Gabriel said. “I’m trying to figure out what you’re talking about and what we’re doing here. I don’t mean to be rude, Olivia, but I did have a full day planned.”

I held up my phone. “You summoned me here. On urgent business.”

As he read the message, the furrow between his eyes deepened. Then he passed me his phone, with an e-mail displayed.

Hey, I hate to do this to you, because I know you’re busy today, but I just got a huge lead on the Larsen case. Tried calling, but it keeps going to v-mail. Can you meet me? Sorry to be cryptic, but I don’t want to put this in an e-mail. I’ll be at the address below in an hour. I’ll owe you. You can even bill me if you want. :)

I checked the address, expecting to see it was spoofed. It wasn’t. I could hear James telling me he hadn’t hired those deprogrammers, and my mocking reply.

“Get in the car,” he said.

We got in, but Gabriel didn’t start the engine. He peered out. When I caught a glimpse of something moving outside, I twisted to peer awkwardly through the back window as a raven settled onto a dead oak.

“Cwn Annwn,” I murmured.

Gabriel adjusted the mirror to look. “A hound?”